


The gift of an innkeeper

by OrlesianTruffles



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hotel, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, F/M, Fluffy, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-03
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-04-29 17:54:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5137184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrlesianTruffles/pseuds/OrlesianTruffles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They meet three times, but it isn't until the third time that they finally speak.<br/>Solas is staying at a hotel for business, while Ellana tries to get through her work day without being totally distracted by him. What are those rules about employees and hotel guests again?<br/>Short, fluffy, and sweet chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The first time they met it was so ordinary, neither of them would probably completely remember the event. Shrugging his coat on, he saw her approaching and held the door for her. She offered him a warm and bright smile, leaning back inside briefly to bid someone a goodbye, she quickly walked past him, a bounce in her step. He took a deep breath as she passed, accidently breathing in the scent of her, lavender and lemon, and something else he couldn’t place. She thanked him, bowing slightly before turning and walking away. He absently watched her walk towards her car and then headed to his own without giving the even much thought. Just another guest at another hotel.

The second time it was evening and Solas was on his cellphone arguing with a professor from the university he had been giving a discussion at. Apparently his ideas while accepted by the students, were not going over well within the department. He saw the woman again, this time she held the door open for him. He nodded to her in thanks as she gave him a sympathetic smile. This time she smelled of vanilla and pine. He didn’t notice her after he headed towards the elevators off of the hotel lobby, being pulled back into his phone call. 

The third time Solas saw her, he was surprised to find her working behind the front desk at the hotel he was staying at. He had run out of toothpaste. Quietly, and barefoot, he padded through the quiet hotel lobby, making his way to the front desk. He paused for a moment when he saw the side of her face, her eyes narrowed and nose scrunched up in concentration as she sorted some paperwork. Her pointed ears twitched slightly as she heard him moving forward. Lifting her head up, her entire face brightened when she saw him.

“Oh, hello.” She gave a small wave as he continued up to the desk. 

“Hello.” He said calmly, with a slight smile. “Do you have any-“ 

“Toothpaste?” She finished for him with a wink.

“How did you know?” 

“Call it a gift.” She smirked, handing him a small packet of toothpaste. 

“The gift of an innkeeper?” He said playfully, making her laugh. 

“Or perhaps that of someone who works far too much.” She smiled warmly still laughing, and Solas felt something deep within him begin to open after far too long of being ignored.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She watches him eat breakfast. He waits for her to leave. Awkwardness happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt inspired to keep going! This brings me such joy to write, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)

Out of the corner of her eye she watched him read while finishing off a probably too sweet pastry left out for breakfast. She had to remind herself to not be weird and watch the guests. And then she reminded herself again. A hand gently squeezing her shoulder pushed her back into the present, turning her head quickly to her right she saw her co-worker, Leliana standing next to her with a bright smile. 

“Good morning, did you count the drawer?” She nodded slowly, pushing herself to keep her gaze from lingering on the stranger who always held the door for her, her Mr. Walks-Through-The-Lobby-Barefoot-After-Midnight. Glancing down she wiggled her own toes, her shoes thrown in a corner behind the desk, forgotten for eight hours. 

“Ah. Yes. The drawer. Yeah, it’s ready.” Leliana narrowed her eyes at her with a smirk, leaning over slightly she glanced into the dining area off of the lobby. She leaned back after a moment and hummed. That woman was far too observant. 

“He is handsome, in a tragic sort of way.” Without another word she began to count the drawer as Lavellan tried to hide her blush with a cough, she stacked the rest of her paperwork before ducking into the back office to sort it. When she came back out, the drawer was counted, and the man was gone. She quietly slipped her shoes back on, and buttoned her coat before walking around to the other side of the desk. She offered a wave to Leliana, who only winked before answer the phone, another busy morning beginning. A rush of cool air greeted her as she stepped from the hotel lobby and onto the sidewalk, instantly she felt eyes on her. 

“Hello.” She blinked, standing off to the side was her mystery man, well dressed as always. How did he make a tweed jacket that attractive anyway? Feeling her face heat with a blush, she turned her face away for a moment and then with a determined nod, turned and faced him again. 

“Good morning, sir. I hope you enjoyed breakfast. Have a nice day.” She smiled warmly, her best hospitality smile, before beginning to walk away. His fingers barely brushed against her elbow, making her freeze in place. 

“Wait…please. May I ask your name?” She felt like she was falling. Did the sun just suddenly get brighter? What did he ask? Oh her name. What was her name again? 

“Ellana.” She whispered then cleared her throat, turning around to face him again, she repeated her name, louder this time. The man smiled, bringing his hand back to his side. 

“I am Solas.” Her heart was pounding so loudly she was surprised she even caught his name. “Have a wonderful day, Ellana.” He said her name slowly, as if he was testing out how it sounded coming from his lips. She sputtered out a cough, caught up in the way he spoke. “Are you alright?” He leaned forward slightly, concerned. She swallowed and pretended to smooth out her coat. 

“Oh yeah, just fine. Really. It was nice to see you again…Solas.” She bowed her head a little and then quickly turned to walk towards her car, her face too red and hot to notice the cool breeze anymore. The man simply smiled to himself and then turned, walking to his own car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where this is going and have absolutely no plan. However, I'm happy to just keep going and see where this leads us!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah another quiet night. Right?

A week had passed and Ellana had hardly seen Solas. He seemed to be rushing out the door earlier than usual, not sitting to eat breakfast, only grabbing a cup of tea to go, dark circles under his eyes, brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought. After embarrassing herself in front of him that morning he told her his name, she was happy for the small distance between them. At least for the time being. That week she focused on her work, and life went by one day at a time. 

Late in to her shift, Ellana yawned, stretching her arms above her head and glancing at her watch. “Only three am? Man this day is dragging.” She muttered to her security guard who was helping himself to a cup of coffee towards the other end of the lobby. He nodded in agreement before placing a lid on his cup and walking towards the stairwell to make his rounds. Ellana watched him go, thinking about how unsure she had been when she first met Blackwall. Over time however, they had grown to become friends, even playing cards during the off season when the hotel was practically empty. Turning back to her computer, she absently chewed on the cap of her pen when suddenly, all hell broke loose. 

Alarms began screaming throughout the hotel, the phone following shortly after, guests calling for more information no doubt. Blackwall called to her through their radios, but Ellana couldn’t make out what he was saying over the sound of the alarms. She felt as though her body was vibrating with the jarring noise. Quickly springing into action she grasped at her cellphone before running into the back office to look at the emergency fire panel on the wall, that would tell her where the problem was. 

“Ellana! Answer me!” Blackwall called for her from the lobby before practically kicking down the door to get to her. 

“Over here! Panel! It’s on the tenth floor!” She called to him, quickly reading the emergency panel. 

“Makers balls. Of course it is.” 

“You go up there, I’ll stay here. I’ve got to start evacuating the building.” He nodded to her in understanding before quickly running in the direction of the stairs. She actually felt pretty bad for him, having to run up ten flight of stairs into an unknown danger, at this point it could really have been anything. Ellana dialed 911 while she rushed back to the front desk. Emergency services were on their way, one task completed. Guests had started pouring into the lobby, their worried expressions fueling her need to take control of the situation. They all looked to her for guidance, to see them through this emergency. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and then climbed up onto the front desk, on her knees, but still far above everyone else. From this position she could see just how many people had rushed down to the lobby, they all stared at her, expect looks upon their faces. 

“We don’t know what the emergency is yet, but please head outside and I promise I will keep you updated. Thank you for your understanding.” She called out to the people before them, feeling at peace in the center of chaos. As guests started filtering out of the building, she caught a glimpse of Solas, his eyes locked onto hers and for a moment it was if everything became frozen in time. Shaking her head, Ellana hopped off of the coffee table and brought the radio up to her ear. 

“Blackwall. Status.” 

“Smoke up here on tenth.” 

“They’re on the way.” She meant of course the firemen, but she knew he would have guessed that. 

“Good. I’m going to continue to get people out of here.” 

“Understood.” And that was why she loved working with Blackwall, he never hesitated to jump in and help. Ellana began grabbing reports with a list of guest names on it, and other important information. Once the firemen were on the scene everything came together very quickly and it all became a blur. Her and one of the firemen went of the details the panel were telling them, the others rushing up to the tenth floor. Ellana stepped into the mix of people wander outside, with kind words and reassuring smiles.  
Solas watched from the street as Ellana handled the situation with a level a grace and focus he did not expect from her. As nervous as she had appeared to him when he had asked for her name, he could now see why she was left in charge overnight. She moved as though she were a dancer moving about a stage, helping where she could, and controlling the emergency. It nearly took his breath away. 

As it turned out, the emergency was minor. Someone had been smoking near the stairs and threw it in a trashcan before putting it out correctly. Ellana sighed as she gathered the guests closer to her. All of that, evacuating everyone into the street in the middle of the night just for a poorly put out cigarette. She was going to punch whoever did that, and find out what idiot was smoking inside the hotel. Standing herself up on a bench outside of the hotel she assured the guests that the danger had passed and that it was safe to return to their rooms. Pushing some hair out of her eyes, she hopped off of the bench and waited for guests to make their way inside, wanting to be the last person to go back inside. As she entered the lobby, she noticed a tall and lean man waiting for her at the desk. With a grin she made her way to the opposite side of the desk. Her hands were still shaking, but she was happy he was the one waiting for her. 

“Hello Solas. I apologize for the early morning wake up call. I know you’ve been very busy lately.” 

“Ah, yes. Work is…stressful.” Her hair had fallen out of its neat style during the chaos and was now a mess around her face. Solas thought she looked beautiful like that, face flushed, eyes bright. “It seems, in the panic, I forgot the key to my room.” Ellana laughed softly, busying herself to make a key for him. Admittedly it was a very simple and quick task, and she may have taken her time with it just to continue talking to him for just a bit longer. 

“Ellana, I wanted to tell you, I thought you handled that with grace.” She blushed a bit, ducking her head, trying to hide it. 

“You think I’m graceful?” 

“Absolutely. I also greatly enjoy watching that indomitable focus of yours.” Ellana raised an eyebrow with a lop sided smile, handing him the new room key. Their fingers brushed against one another as he took the key from her.

“Indomitable focus?” 

“Presumably. I have yet to see it dominated, I imagine the sight would be…fascinating.” Ellana felt her heart begin to pound as he face turned beet red. She began laughing nervously and muttering a goodnight to him. She felt as though she was going to faint. Or dying. She could be dying. 

“Goodnight Ellana.” Solas bowed his head slightly with a small smile as he slowly walked towards the elevator. Through her panic, Ellana noticed he was barefoot again.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solas is expecting a very important delivery. Ellana keeps getting distracted.

“Good morning Ellana.” His steady voice pulled her from her distracted state and she looks up, a blush immediately forming across her face. She knows she should return the greeting, but her mind is screaming words like ‘focus’ and ‘dominated’, and all she can seem to manage to get out is squeaks and small animal like noises. She coughs trying to hide the blush behind a closed fist against her lips. 

“Good morning Solas. Can I help you with something today?” She smiled at him, but catches herself staring at his lips. He slides a business card across the counter and it catches her attention. 

“My phone number.” Ellana blinks, that damned blush forming again, hotter than ever. 

“Ex-excuse me?” She stammered. Not that she wasn’t hoping for his number, but here, at work? Silently, she prays to every deity she can think of that her boss hasn’t come in yet. Solas smiles just slightly, eyes warm but still looking serious. 

“I am expecting a package today. It’s very important that I receive a phone call the moment it arrives. It should be here this morning, before you leave. Unfortunately, I cannot wait here for it, as I have an early meeting today. Would you please call me when it arrives?” Ellana nodded, catching herself staring at his lips again. Would they be soft and warm? She tapped her fingers against the desk to snap herself out of it. 

“Yes, of course. I’ll call you as soon as it gets here.” She smiles, and gives him a small wave as he exits the hotel. Her cheeks are still flushed as she stares at his card. She doesn’t want to admit that she memorizes the number by the time the package arrives, but it might have happened. 

As predicted, the package arrives within the hour. The box is fairly small, but not very heavy and the address is for a bookstore in Kirkwall. What could he have ordered from there? Although Ellana wasn’t even exactly sure what he did for work. Picking up the phone, she took a deep breath before dialing the number he handed her. She’s holding her breath, slightly nervous that she’s bothering him. The phone rings several times before it’s answered. 

“Hello?” He sounds a little stressed, or distracted. She’s not sure which. 

“Hello Solas, this is El—“ She hears a small chuckle, and she can imagine his smile and the way the lines around his eyes crinkle slightly when he’s amused by something. 

“Hello Ellana.” She hopes eventually she’ll get over the way he says her name. This crush of hers is getting ridiculous. 

“I uh…just wanted you to know, your umm…your package is here. It just got here.” 

“Perfect. Thank you Ellana. I’ll be there shortly.” She glances at the clock. She’s off in five minutes and Leliana is walking in the door. She bites at her bottom lip before making what is probably a very stupid decision. 

“Alright, see you soon then. Bye.” She breathes normally again once she hangs up the phone. She takes the package and tucks it into her purse before finishing up her shift work. He still hasn’t arrived yet, so she waves goodbye to her co-workers, and then heads outside to sit down on the bench just outside of the hotel. She’s staring at the park across the street when she hears footsteps coming her way. Looking up excitedly, she can see Solas walking towards the hotel. His coat pulled tightly against him, as though he is trying to seek some relief from the cold air. Ellana reached into her bag, her fingers gently gripping the package before bouncing up and standing in his path. Solas’s eyes darted up and to Ellana, surprised, but happy to see her. She held the small box out to him. 

“You said you’d be here soon so…I decided to just wait. It sounded pretty important so…anyway, here!” She practically shoved the box at him, his long fingers brushing against hers as his smile nearly melted her where she stood. 

“Thank you for waiting, although you did not have to.” He slowly opened the box in his hands, not taking his eyes off of her. “It was very kind of you to do so.” Ellana blushed at his compliment, watching him open the box, curious to know what it was. 

“What did you get?” He held up a hardcover book, it looks like it might be fiction and she makes out the words ‘Hard in Hightown’ before he shifts the book in his arms, blocking her view of it. Ellana blinked, slightly confused. All of this fuss for a book? Couldn’t he have waited until this evening for such a thing? He tossed the empty packaging into a nearby trashcan, and slipped the book into his coat pocket. With a slight nod of his head he smiled to her. 

“Thank you again, I will see you tomorrow.” As he turned Ellana found herself reaching for him, she felt as though she had no control of her body. 

“A book?” He looked over his shoulder with a small smile, although she could feel the muscles in his arm tighten just slightly under the weight of her fingertips. 

“Yes, and thank you for the call. Please keep my card, just in case you need my phone number again in the near future.” He pulled away and walked back in the direction had had come from. Ellana had the sensation of falling. 

Oh. 

Oh, that man.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lights go out. Maybe though, it's not a bad thing?

Everything had been going steady, just as it should, as it did every night. Computers working normal, programs running at top speed, everyone checked in for the evening, it was a beautiful, organized, world. Ellana smiled to herself as she watched the status bar move along as it should in the program she was running. It was perfect. 

And then, it wasn’t. 

“Oh no. No. No. No. Please, don’t do this.” Everything froze, and the lights in the lobby flickered. She quickly looked around, growing nervous. Suddenly, everything went dark. Reaching for her radio she called to Blackwall for help. She knew he was making his rounds on the upper floors. 

“Blackwall. Do you have power? There’s nothing down here in the lobby.” She spoke into the radio, trying to sound confident while her voice shook. Sifting through one of the drawers at the desk she managed to find a flashlight. Turning it on did make it slightly less creepy, but it was still unsettling. 

“Are you alright? The power is on up here. I’ll head down to the circuit breaker and check it out. I can stay with you if you want though.” She could tell Blackwall was walking quickly, possibly evening running.

“No, I’ll be alright. Thanks though. You just do what you need to.” Just then, Ellana’s heart stopped when she heard footsteps from the other side of the lobby. Shining a flashlight around the empty room, she swallowed, trying to keep her cool. 

“Ellana? Are you alright?” Solas approached the desk slowly, as though she were a frightened animal. Ellana leaned over the desk, shining a light on him, illuminating his bare feet first, and then the rest of him. She smiled, relieved to see him. 

“Oh Solas, how did you know?” She smirked, placing a hand on her hip as he moved to stand in front of the desk. “I’m not sure what happened, the power just seemed to cut out down here. The rest of the hotel seems fine, and Blackwall is checking it out, although admittedly, it’s a bit creepy down here by myself.” She laughed nervously, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Solas smiled warmly, then blinked and nodded to himself. 

“I have an idea. I’ll be right back.” As he went to move away, Ellana couldn’t stop herself from making an annoyed noise and being left alone in the darkness again. “I promise, I’ll return shortly.” He smiled to her then slipped away back into the darkness. Ellana sighed, leaning against the desk, drumming her fingers nervously. She wanted to ask Blackwall for an update but knew he was probably busy making sure everything was safe. Normally she could control a situation with ease, but something about the eerily still, pitch black and empty lobby was making her uneasy. 

A few minutes had passed, when at last, Solas returned, his hands full. Ellana moved from behind the desk to walk towards him. Solas motioned for her to join him at an area with a small table and two comfortable chairs on either side. He smiled as he set something down on the table, it looked like a shallow box. Ellana watched with curiosity as he moved about the area gracefully. Slowly, the area begun to glow with a soft light. 

“Candles?” She blinked as realization hit her. Solas had grabbed some candles and was setting them up around the lobby. The setting became nearly romantic, and put Ellana to ease immediately. She couldn’t help but laugh, softly at first, but growing slightly louder as Solas lit more candles. 

“You just had a bunch of candles sitting in your room? For what? Fun? Sheer randomness?” She laughed as she spoke, unable to hold herself back. 

“One can never be too prepared.” He smiled thoughtfully, inclining his head towards her as he lit the last candle in his hand. He walked back to the table, placing his hand over the box. Ellana flopped down into one of the chairs, sighing happily as she regained her composure. The lobby looked absolutely beautiful with the addition of the candles, and Ellana thought this should happen more often. Solas slid the lid of the box to the side, empting its contents out with great care. 

“Do you play?” 

“Excuse me?” Ellana turned to look at him first, and then down to the table. It was a chess set. He brought down a chess set to keep her company. As if her heart wasn’t already doing flips within her chest. She began laughing again out of happiness, flashing him a broad smile. “Yes, although not well. It’s been a long time. But, I’ll try my best!” Solas set the pieces up and they began to play. 

They played two games, both of which Solas had won. Ellana was grinning from ear to ear, suddenly her radio sparked to life and she jumped, startled. 

“Ellana? How are you doing? I’ve just about got this. Sorry it took so long.” Blackwall’s voice filled the quiet lobby, and then the room was filled with bright light. Ellana and Solas squinted, their eyes trying to readjust quickly. 

“Yes, thank you Blackwall. The power just came back on. I’m good.” Ellana knew her voice sounded sad, disappointed even. Turning her attention back to Solas she saw the beginning of a frown forming across his lips, as he began to put the chess pieces away. Gently, Ellana touched her fingertips to the top of his hand. “Wait. I have an idea.” She grinned again, bouncing to the other side of the desk and out of view for a moment. Solas watched her with a serious expression until the lights flickered back off. His frown instantly turned back into a smile. She came back to him and quickly sat back down, the candlelight once again filling the room with a soft glow. 

“You wish to continue?” He asked as he began to set the board up once again. 

“Absolutely. And this time, I swear I’ll beat you.” She grinned, brushing her fingers against a pawn. Solas smirked as he finished setting up. 

“We shall see.”


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solas has something on his mind. Ellana makes a choice.

More than a week had passed since the emergency that turned out to not really be an emergency, and Solas casually slipping Ellana his phone number. Oh and that wonderful game of chess they played, which turned into another, and then another.

Ellana could feeling something beginning between them, but it never seemed to go where she wanted to it. As though there was some invisible wall between them. _He’s a guest Ellana. Don’t be an idiot. He could be married for all you know._ Ellana thought to herself, biting at the inside of her cheek. She knew she shouldn’t even entertain the idea but….he was pretty amazing.

Solas seemed to be taking more time in the morning, although still rushing out the door quickly. They exchanged smiles and he seemed at least slightly more at ease around her now. This morning he was later than normal, and seemed to have something on his mind. Ellana watched from the desk as he walked towards the door, and then stopped, turned as though he was going to approach her and then her heart sank as he turned around and walked out the door instead. With a sigh, she finished up her work, and waved to Leliana as she pulled her coat on and made for the door.

She stretched her arms up above her head and let out a yawn, and then began walking in the direction of her car. As she walked past an alleyway on the corner of the hotel, she could see the parking lot where her car was waiting for her. Suddenly a hand reached out, pulling her into the alley. With a startled gasp she stumbled to the side and then backwards, her back gently hitting the brick wall of the hotel. Stormy grey-blue eyes locked onto hers, as though staring into the depths of her.

“Ellana.” Solas breathed, his voice rough and quiet. Her heart raced at the closeness of their bodies, his chest firmly pressed against hers. His arms encased her, his palms pressing flat against the brick.

“Solas?” Before she could finish saying his name, his lips pressed into hers, taking her breath away. He was demanding with his kisses, pressing his tongue against hers, tasting her, drinking her in. His hips rolled against hers, causing her to let out a soft moan against his lips. She could lose herself in him, she just knew it. After a few moments she placed her hands against his shoulders, and gently pushed him back, breaking their kiss. Her cheeks were flushed and breath ragged.

“Solas, I…I can’t. Believe me, I want to. But I can’t. My work…I…this—damn it.” She bit her lip nervously, already missing the feel of him. She watched as several emotions passed across his face, lust, surprise, and then a bit of longing and perhaps some sadness and regret.

“You are right of course. I am sorry, I—that was impulsive. It will not happen again. Forgive me.” He looked away from her, and Ellana thought he had never looked more handsome. A faint blush, freckles scattered across his cheeks, that strong jaw line, those mesmerizing eyes like a storm at sea, his elegantly pointed ears, he was beautiful.

“Oh screw it. The rules can stuff it.” She practically leapt at him, throwing her arms around his shoulders, colliding into him. Solas stumbled into the opposite wall of the alley, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her against him. Ellana balanced on the balls of her feet, leaning against him. Kissing him roughly, filled with pent up lust and passion. For that moment, it was as if the rest of the world melted away and it was simply Solas and Ellana, and warm kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Just something I wrote while working on a longer fic. I could probably write more of this if there was interest in it. I hope you enjoyed. :)


End file.
